The good: He is a physically gifted safety with the ability to become a fine NFL starter. In run support, he is a sure tackler and takes fine angles to the ball. In pass coverage he has natural ability, which allows him to match up with receivers in man situations. He has smooth hips that allow him for a nice transition and the ability to retain his fine speed to match up with fast receivers stride for stride. He has the recovery speed to blanket fast receivers in the deep game with the final burst to break up the play. He plays the ball very well with the ability to make the big play often.

The bad: His overall level of development is a definite concern. In run support, he can take some false steps that put him out of position. He needs strength development to be more than a wrap-up tackler. He has limited experience playing in zone coverage and faces a learning curve in that vital area. He can be slow to react and needs development on his play recognition and route running.

Outlook: He needs some time to fully develop after only two seasons of Division I-A play. Clubs that ask him to do too much too soon could be disappointed. He is a fast, agile defender with very good hands, range and enough tackling skills to make plays, but needs to absorb a defense fully before being ready to play the free safety position. Nelson has the versatility to play in both nickel and dime packages as a cover man. He is a top-25 prospect on my board who could go even higher with a run on defensive backs. Clubs like the Bengals, Jaguars and Titans are the most interested.

This is special to Rivals.com from Frank Coyle. Coyle has written about the NFL Draft in his newsletter for more than...[Complete Bio]